The second big university league table of the year, the Guardian University Guide, was published today, one which the compilers say is the most student friendly,as it focuses on subject level scores in more detail, and measures things that are of importance to students. In other words, research is not a part of the table.

“The methodology focuses on subject-level league tables, ranking institutions that provide each subject area, according to their relevant statistics.

To ensure that all comparisons are as valid as possible, we ask each institution which of their students should be counted in which subject so that they will only be compared to students taking similar subjects at other universities.

Eight statistical measures are employed to approximate a university’s performance in teaching each subject. Measures relate to both input – for example, expenditure by the university on its students – and output – for example, the probability of a graduate finding a graduate-level job. The measures are knitted together to get a Guardian score, against which institutions are ranked.“

A lot of emphasis is given to student experience, through the outcomes of the National Student Survey, and entry grades are dealt with twice – firstly in the details of entry tariff, and secondly in the measure of “value added”, which is an assessment of good degrees, but related to the entry grades of individual students.

The top 4 places are unchanged – Cambridge, Oxford, St Andrews and Surrey. The entrant into the top 5 is Loughborough.

The big winners this year are: Manchester Met, Northumbria City, Bradford, Anglia Ruskin, Derby, Liverpool Hope, Sunderland.

While going down are:Liverpool John Moores, Queen Margaret, Brunel, Brighton, Cumbria ,Birmingham City.

Staffordshire University have pleasingly gone up 14 places to 69th.